TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

A STEWARD’S ILLUSTRATED KEY

TO HISTORIC CERAMICS

REVISED EDITION, 2006*

*This guide is a revision of “A Steward’s Key to Historic Ceramics,” prepared by Dan Potter, Roland Pantermuehl and Anne Fox, in support of the 1997 Texas Archeological Stewardship Network workshop training segment entitled “Understanding Historic Period Artifact Assemblages,” conducted by Anne Fox, Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio MAJOLICA TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Unnamed Early 19th century Majolicas Guanajuato Polychrome Age Range: 1830+ (Mexico/New Spain origin) Age Range: 1790 - 1830 The colors are the key, especially the orange

San Augustine Blue-on-white Age Range: 1700 - 1730 Has pale blue loops on the reverse side.

Tumacacori II Polychrome Age Range: 1810 - 1840

Monterey Polychrome Age Range: 1790 - 1830 Occurs late at the San Antonio missions Tumacacori III Polychrome Age Range: 1830 - 1860 MAJOLICA (cont.) TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Faience Ware (French origin) Puebla Blue-on-White (Mexico/New Spain origin) Age Range: 18th century Age Range: 1675 - 1800; Most common Spanish Colonial type in Texas.

Puebla Blue-on-White Early 18th century

San Elizario (Mexico/New Spain origin) Age Range: 1750 - 1800 Huejotzingo Brown/black accents on Puebla Blue-on-White 18th century Puebla Blue White-cup Early 18th century

Puebla Blue-on-White II Late 18th century

San Luis Polychrome Puebla Blue-on-White Age Range: Early 18th century 1666 - 1720 (possible Mexico City origin) Puebla Blue-on-White Early 18th century

Puebla Polychrome Age Range: 1675 - 1725 PLAIN WARE AND BURNISHED PLAIN WARE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Red Pattern-Burnished Ware Unglazed Wheel-thrown Ware Age Range: 18th century Age Range: 18th century

Also occasionally in black Large water jars, painted design

Goliad Ware Age Range: 18th century Bone-tempered, 18th century equivalent of Leon Plain

Guadalajara/Tonalá Burnished Age Range: 1650 - present (still made today) Plain red slip or red, yellow, and black painted designs LEAD GLAZE WARE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Lead Glaze Ware (Spanish/Mexican origin) Age Range: 18th century - present

Guadalajara Lead/clear glaze with Red body brown/yellow body (possibly El Morro type)

Galera Polychrome Age Range: 1722+ Clear glaze on orange body; brown, green, cream decoration

Olive Jar (Spanish origin) Age Range: 15th - 19th century Green glaze on the interior, white slip on the exterior PORCELAIN AND WHITE WARE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Asian Porcelain Sponge Ware Age Range: 1600s to 18th century Age Range: 1800 - 1860

Imported to Acapulco via Manila galleons

Hand-painted Whiteware (Decorated Overglaze) English origin Age Range: East Texas, 1820+; South Texas, 1830+

Sponge stamped ware, post-Civil War

Edged Ware Age Range: 1780 - 1850

Sprig ware

“Flow Blue” Decal Ware or “Decalcomania” Age Range: 1835 - 1900 Age Range: 1900+ in Texas Decorated over glaze.

“Solid Color”/Fiesta Ware Age Range: 1920s

Same color on both sides; multiple colors WHITE WARE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Transfer Print Banded Slip Ware Age Range: English origin, early 19th century to ca. 1850; Age Range: 1800 - 1850 English/U. S. origin, 1850s to present

Rouletted rim

Undecorated White Ware/Ironstone (English/ U. S. origin) Age Range: 19th century Sites containing only white ware (predominantly ironstone) are post-Civil War Mocha decoration

This pattern continues to appear Thinner sherds are usually “white ware,” thicker sherds are into the late 19th century probably “ironstone” and date to 1840s - 1930s (still made today)

Maker's mark sometimes can be identified and dated. STONEWARE AND LUSTER WARE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Rockingham/Bennington Glaze Luster Ware (English and U.S. origin) Age Range: 18th century Black luster Age Range: late 19th century (England; 18th century) hard, red paste

Copper luster (England; Black luster 19th century) (Mexico; hard, red paste 18th century) gray/tan paste

Stoneware (European and U.S. origin, including Texas) Age Range: 1850 to present

Albany slip Salt glaze 1850 to 1900 1850 to 1900

Alkaline glaze “Ginger beer” Albany slip 1850 to 1870 (European origin, possibly Scotland) 1850 to 1900

Storage jar Storage jar Stoneware bottle (U. S., East Coast) (Texas origin) (German origin) SPECIAL CERAMIC FORMS TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Pipes (European/U.S. origin) Children’s Ceramic Assemblage Age Range: 17th-19th century Age Range: 19th century Same patterns made throughout the U.S.

Clay Clay

Bennington Brown glaze on Stoneware

“Cobalt” Bennington Stoneware Blue on stoneware, unglazed

Household Items Age Range: Late 19th century into 20th century

Doll parts (arms and legs attached to cloth or leather body)

Insulator Slate pencil

Door knob

Writing slate-used by all ages from school children to merchants Door knob Insulator P.O. BOX 12276 • AUSTIN, TX 78711-2276 PHONE 512/463-6100 • FAX 512/475-4872 www.thc.state.tx.us